Avocados are definitely "The in Thing"!

I love avocados and rate this fruit highly! It has amazing properties which makes it’s a superfood and a great natural ingredient for the beauty industry.

The flesh has a subtle and creamy flavour and is packed with goodness. Avocados are a good source of many essential nutrients including omega-3 fatty acids, beta-sitosterol, fibre, vitamins and minerals. Did you know that avocados contain more potassium per gram than bananas? Well, if you didn’t, then now you know!Also unlike other fruits avocados have more protein and hardly any sugar.

Something else that I love about avocados is that they are so versatile. I enjoy them in so many different ways:

In sandwiches. They go well with bacon, hard boiled eggs or roast chicken.

As a dip like the famous guacamole dip. I don’t know anyone who has tried guacamole and not liked it!

In salads

As a side dish to meals. I like them with curries as they really complement strong flavours well.

So why do some people avoid this green gem?

There is a misconception that avocados are high fat content and therefore should be avoided but this is not true as the natural fat is mostly healthy monounsaturated fat that is actually good fat . This natural fat can actually help to lower cholesterol. Furthermore eating avocados is also associated with improved overall diet quality, nutrient intake and reduced risk of metabolic syndrome (i.e. increased risk of diabetes, heart disease and high blood pressure).

Tips on selecting and getting the best out of your avocado

I always buy unripe avocados which are green and feel hard.

I wash them and then store them at room temperature to ripen which usually takes about a week. I find that the taste is a lot better than when stored in the fridge.

The variety I normally buy, when ripe, the skin changes from green to a purplish colour and the avocado feels soft to touch but firm. Also the skin peels away from the flesh easily and may leave purplish specks on the flesh.

Don’t allow your avocado to over-ripe as the flesh inside could become rotten and mushy. If the whole fruit is not affected, I normally just cut out the black bits and still use the fruit.

If you have any left-over avocado, it is best to wrap it tightly in cling film and store it in the fridge. I would suggest that you use it up within 2 days for best results.

So the bottom line is, eat avocados for healthy skin and healthy living!